Roman Anthony didn’t put up any grand stat line in his MLB debut, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora nevertheless felt it was a good start for the newcomer.
Anthony (0-4, RBI, walk, strikeout), who was the top prospect in baseball before his call-up from Triple-A Worcester on Monday, is still searching for his first big league hit. He made an error in right field during the fifth inning, too.
Cora, though, believes there was a lot to like.
“Good,” Cora told reporters after Boston’s 10-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, per WEEI’s Tom Carroll. “He was able to slow it down. The walk. Hit the ball hard twice. Stayed up the middle, doesn’t try to do too much. So, it was a good first day.”
Cora credited Anthony’s maturity at the plate, highlighting his seventh-inning walk which gave Boston runners at first and second in a one-run game. Anthony also put the ball in play in the bottom of the ninth inning, which allowed Rafael Devers to score from third base and cut Boston’s deficit to 7-6.
Story continues below advertisement
“His body, it’s not drifting,” Cora said. “It stays behind the ball. The walk — you can get caught up in the moment, right? It’s loud and all that. And he just took his walk. Just like in spring training, that was something that really impressed me.”
Anthony figures to be in the lineup for a second straight night as the Red Sox host the Rays in the middle game of their three-game set Tuesday.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
